Spring support structures and related hardware for furniture



Oct. 4, 1966 R. E. JONES 3,276,801

SPRING SUPPORT STRUCTURES AND RELATED HARDWARE FOR FURNITURE Filed Jan. 28, 1964 y INVENTOR: ROME E. JONES ATT'YS United States Patent SPRING SUPPORT STRUCTURES AND RELATED HARDWARE FOR FURNITURE Rome Earl Jones, Newton, N.C., assignor to Prestige Furniture Corporation, Newton, NC, a corporation of North Carolina Filed Jan. 28,1964, Ser. No. 340,671 Claims. (Cl. 287-189.35)

This invent-ion in general pertains to furniture structures and more particularly pertains to spring structures and spring-support clips used therewith.

One type of furniture to which the invention pertains is chairs or like seating furniture in which the seat is padded, and the padded seat resiliently supported by metal springs mounted across the frame structure of the seat and/ or back rest. The spring-support clips of the invention are mounted rigidly on opposite sides of the frame. Opposing clips pairs receive opposite ends of a seat spring, which is a spring wire with a series of convolutions or zigzags lying in the lateral plane of the spring. The spring wire further may be arched upwardly, as viewed in side elevation, from the outer ends toward the mid-portion of the spring. A side-by-side series of these springs forms an economical, spring support structure for the padded seat and/or padded back rest. I

When a person is seated on furniture of this type, the upward arch of the spring is depressed. This results in outward thrust forces exerted by the ends of the springs which ends are supported on the frame, e.g., in springsupport clips.

The spring-support clips of this invention comprise a metal band or thin bar bent about transverse bending axes into an arcuate, transverse seat for the laterally-extending end of a spring wire, which end is the outermost leg of the outermost convolution of zig-zag of the spring wire. The end of the spring generally is substantially parallel to the side of the frame on which its supporting clip is mounted.

The arcuate, transverse, spring seat of the clips is formed by reverse bending of the metal clip band about a transverse bending axis into an arc, as viewed in side elevation, which is more than a semi-circle but less than a full circle. The are radius of the inner wall of the spring seat is the same as or slightly smaller than the radius of the spring wire seated therein. The spring seat of the clip opens at a narrow spreadable neck extending therefrom upwardly and outwardly. The neck is formed by transverse bends juxtapositioned in the metal band, one of which bends is formed between a side of the spring seat and a plate portion formed at one longitudinal end of the bend and adapted to be attached to the frame and the other of which hends is formed between the opposite side of the spring seat and a hook portion formed at or near the other longitudinal end of the metal band. The hook portion is formed so as to be able to hook the end of a spring when it is being mounted on the frame. This structure, as hereinafter further elucidated, can be used to spread the narrow necks of the spring-mounting clips during the mounting of the springs across the frame in opposing clips.

The invention, its objects and its advantages will be further appreciated in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of a chair in which the preferred embodiment of the clip and spring structure for a chair seat is employed.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, in fragment, of the chair seat as taken on section 22 of FIG. I.

3,276 ,8 0-1 Patented Oct.;4, 1966 FIG. 3 is a perspective, enlarged view of the clip and fragments of the seat frame and spring.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a typical chair 10, the particulars of the general structure of which are not important herein inasmuch as the invention, as illustrated, centers in the structure in the seat frame 11, and its spring undersupport. The seat frame 11 is an open rectangular frame composed of the integrally formed or joined panels or boards comprising front panel or board 12, rear panel or board 12, and side panels or boards 13, 14. The spring undersupport of the seat comprises a series of springs 16 extending between opposite sidesof the seat frame. 7

The springs 16 are made of spring wire bent to form convolutions or zig-zags 17 formed by straight leg segments 18 transverse to the longitudinal axis of the springs and alternating U-bends 19. The transverse end legs 20 of the springs are seated in spring-mounting clips 21.

The clips 21 are metal bands bent about transverse bending axes into the shape illustrated. One end of the spring clips has a right angle bend 22 forming an L-bend segment having a leg 23 adapted to seat against the outer side of a seat frame member, e.g., side members 14 and 15, and a leg 24 adapted to seat on the upper side 25 of the frame member. The leg 23 has holes 26 through which nails 27 (or screws, bolts, etc.) extend to secure the clips on the seat frame members. 7

' The end legs 20 of 'zig-zag springs 16 are seated in arcuate seats 28 formed by convex transverse bends in the metal bands in the form of a circular are which is more than a semi-circle but lessthan a full circle. The seats 28 of the clips have a spreada'ble, narrow neck 29 forming a transverse opening for the arcuate seats 28. The metal bands forming the clips each have a concave transverse bend 30 at the end of the leg 24 and an opposing, concave, transverse bend 31 in the free, springable end of the clip which concave bends together form the narrow neck 29.

The radius of the inner sides of the seats 28 is substantially the same as or slightly less than the radius of the end legs 20 of the zig-zag springs 16 so that the end legs fit relatively tightly in the seats. The metal bands forming the clips have sufficient resili p which has a throat width less than the diameter of the end legs 20, can spread sufficiently to allow the end leg 20 to pass therethrough into seat 28.

To facilitate mounting of springs 16 in the clips 21, the clips may have a transverse, convex bend forming an inwardly-facing hook 32. The hook 32 may be used to advantage in mounting the springs. For example, one end leg 20 of a spring 16 may be pressed into a seat 28 of one spring clip 21. The spring is stretched across the seat frame 11 toward the opposing clip. The other leg 20 of the stretched spring is placed in the book 32 in the springable end of the clip. The tension of spring 16 causes the springable end to spring and the neck 29 to spread-making it simpler to push end leg 20 into its seat 28.

The springs 16, as viewed in side elevation, have an upward arch. The arch is depressed or flattened under weight on the padding 33 of the seat, which padding is encased by an underlayer of fabric 34 and an outer, upholstery 35. The latter covers the seat padding and the outer sides of the seat frame panels 12-15.

ncy so that the neck 29,

seats 28 adjacent bend 30, the spring ends 20 remain securely seated in the clips.

The advantages of the invention, therefore, are severalfold.

The invention is hereby claimed asfollows:

1 A spring support structure for articles of furniture which comprises a frame; a series of zig-zag springs made of spring wire extending across said frame, opposite end legs of each of said springs being seated in clips each having one end securely mounted on opposite sides of said frame; a clip on said frame being formed from a metal band having a plurality of transverse bends including a convex bend defining an arcuate seat in which respective end legs are seated, said arcuate seat having an are which is greater than a semi-circle but less than a full circle, said seat opening outwardly and upwardly in a neck defined by opposing concave bends, said neck having a throat which is narrower than the diameter of said end legs, and a convex bend defining an inwardly-facing hook near the springable end of said metal band, whereby said neck may be spread by hooking an end leg of said spring when it is under tension.

2. A spring support for articles of furniture which comprises a rectangular, open seat frame defined byframe panels; a plurality of opposing spring clips mounted on opposite frame panels, a clip on said frame being made of a metal band having a plurality of transverse bends including a sharp bend near one end thereof and forming a clip portion lying against the outer and upper, sides of said frame panel, a concave bend near the inner sides of said panel, a convex bend defining an are which is more than a semi-circle but less than a full circle and defining an arcuate seat for an end of a zig-zag spring, ,a second concave bend opposite said first-mentioned concave bend, said .concave bends defining a narrow neck opening upwardly and outwardly from said arcuate seat; and zig-zag springs made of spring wire extending across said frame with the end legs of said springs seated in respective opposing clips mounted on said panels.

3. A spring support for articles of furniture which comprises a rectangular, open seat frame defined by frame panels; a plurality of opposing spring clips mounted on opposite frame panels, said spring clips on one of said panels, each being made of a metal band having a plurality of transverse bends including a sharp bend near one end thereof and forming clip portions lying against the outer, and upper sides of said opposite frame panels, a concave bend near the inner sides of said panel, a convex bend defining an are which is more than a semi-circle but less than a full circle and defining an arcuate seat for an end of a zig-zag spring, a second concave bend opposite said first-mentioned concave bend, said concave bends defining a narrow neck opening upwardly and outwardly from said arcuate seat; and a convex bend on the springable, opposite end of said metal' band defining an inwardly-facing hook; zig-zag springs made of spring wire extending across said frame with the end legs of said springs seated in said opposing clips mounted on said opposite panels whereby said narrow neck can be spread by placing an end leg of said zig-zag spring under tension in said inwardly-facing hook.

4. A clip for mounting zig-za-g springs on frames of articles of furniture which comprises a metal band having a plurality of transverse bends including a sharp bend near one end thereof defining an L-bend, a concave bend at the end of one of the legs of said L-bend, a convex bend defining an are which is more than a semicircle but less than a full circle, a second concave bend opposite said first-mentioned concave bend and defining a transverse, narrow neck opening for said convex bend with a neck throat of a width less than the diameter of the inner side of said convex bend, and a second-convex bend on the opposite end of said metal band defining an inwardly-facing hook, whereby said narrow neck can be spread by placing a leg of one of said zig-zag springs under tension in said inwardly facing hook.

5. A clip for mounting zig-zag springs on frames of articles of furniture which comprises a metal band having at one end a portion adapted to be mounted on a frame. member and also having a plurality of transverse bends including a concave bend adjacent said portion, a convex bend defining an are which is more than a semi-circle but less than a full circle, a second concave bend opposite said first-mentioned concave bend and defining a transverse, narrow neck opening for said convex bend with a neck throat of a width less'than the diameter of the inner side of said convex bend, and a second convex bend on the opposite end of said metal band defining an inwardlyfacing hook, whereby said narrow neck can be spread by. placing a leg of one of said zig-zag springs under tension in said inwardly facing hook.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,542,458 2/1951 Bank 189-35 2,948,940 8/1960 Degener 24-259 X HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Examiner.

I. K. BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SPRING SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR ARTICLES OF FURNITURE WHICH COMPRISES A FRAME; A SERIES OF ZIG-ZAG SPRINGS MADE OF SPRING WIRE EXTENDING ACROSS SAID FRAME, OPPOSITE END LEGS OF EACH OF SAID SPRINGS BEING SEATED IN CLIPS EACH HAVING ONE END SECURELY MOUNTED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FRAME; A CLIP ON SAID FRAME BEING FORMED FROM A METAL BAND HAVING A PLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE BENDS INCLUDING A CONVEX BEND DEFINING AN ARCUATE SEAT IN WHICH RESPECTIVE END LEGS ARE SEATED, SAID ARCUATE SEAT HAVING AN ARC WHICH IS GREATER THAN A SEMI-CIRCLE BUT LESS THAN A FULL CIRCLE, SAID SEAT OPENING OUTWARDLY AND UPWARDLY IN A NECK DEFINED BY OPPOSING CONCAVE BENDS, SAID NECK HAVING A THROAT WHICH IS NARROWER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID END LEGS, AND A CONVEX BEND DEFINING AN INWARDLY-FACING HOOK NEAR THE SPRINGABLE END OF SAID METAL BAND, WHEREBY SAID NECK MAY BE SPREAD BY HOOKING AN END LEG OF SAID SPRING WHEN IT IS UNDER TENSION. 